Later in the review period, I moved the Timekeeper into a second system driven by a Belles Soloist 3 preamp and matched with Harbeth speakers. The results there were stellar too. I had all the power I needed in the room and the bass performance was the best I have encountered with these speakers. The famous Harbeth midrange was even more fleshed out with the Burson in tow.

Lastly, I used the Conductor as an analog line source, with the Bryston BDA-1 DAC connected to the Burson’s RCA inputs, driving the Timekeeper. The Conductor proved to be a wonderfully transparent line stage, with precise imaging, clean and extended treble, and a graceful overall presentation. I found the Conductor easily competitive (and then some) with every preamp I had in the house, and with just about every unit I have had in for review.

Aside from a lack of remote control function, one would be hard pressed to find fault with the Conductor as a preamp. The volume control was smooth as butter and seemingly transparent at any setting. I especially liked the precise-sounding clicks when adjusting the volume, which provided an air of confidence in the engineering.

Conclusion

Burson has a pair of winners with the Conductor DAC/Headphone amp/preamp and Timekeeper stereo amplifier. They work beautifully together and are cut from the same sonic cloth. The Timekeeper had no trouble driving several speakers, and the Conductor proved to be a superb DAC and preamp, and an excellent headphone amp.

Burson has done a great job of topping off the whole package with great looks, versatility, and very fair pricing. Look for a follow up review with the Timekeeper used in mono-block configuration, as I received an additional unit for this purpose. I really enjoyed my system with the Conductor and Timekeeper as the centerpieces.